Ready For Action

Drexel’s robotics engineers have been prepping for more than a year to compete in the DARPA Robotics Challenge trials, which will take place this weekend at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. Here’s what you need to know to follow the DRC-HUBO team even if you can’t make it down to Florida:

All of the teams’ robots will show off their chops at the trials this weekend, performing the kind of tasks that would be required for a robot needed to replace a human in disaster response situations that are unsafe for human operators.

When

Trials will take place on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 20-21 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Closing ceremonies and announcement of the eight teams who will advance to round two, will take place at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

If you can’t make it to Miami, you can follow the trials online at www.theroboticschallenge.org. DARPA will be updating scores on the site and periodically posting video from each of the tasks on both days.

A free smartphone app is also available that lets you track the team throughout the trials and follow the standings in real time.

You can also join the conversation at #DARPADRC on twitter. Hubo’s official twitter handle is @DRCHubo, but he might be a bit busy with the trials, so you can also follow me (@DrexelBritt) and here’s a full list of handles for the other DRC teams.

The Competition

Team DRC-HUBO is up against 16 other teams and must finish among the top eight in order to advance to the finals and receive additional funding from DARPA.

There are eight events or trials, designed to simulate tasks that a robot would face in a disaster scenario such as a nuclear meltdown. Teams can score a maximum of four points in each event (three for completing segments of the task and a fourth point if it’s completed without touching the robot).

Here’s a breakdown of what each task entails and how they will be scored:

The top eight teams will advance to the DRC finals, which will be held at the end of 2014, and receive an additional $1 million in funding. The ultimate prize of the robotics challenge, is a $2 million award and, of course, the prestige of winning a DARPA grand challenge.